


How Jensen Had the Best Christmas Ever, Courtesy of Jared P.

by whispered_story



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Holidays, M/M, Teacher Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 18:14:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4756223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispered_story/pseuds/whispered_story
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared's determined to make sure Jensen has the best Christmas ever. [repost, first posted on livejournal 25/12/2009]</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Jensen Had the Best Christmas Ever, Courtesy of Jared P.

Jared's life is pretty much perfect. 

Three months after moving to Chicago, he's settled in with his new (and first) job as an English teacher quite nicely. And since the high school doesn't have their own drama teacher they're even letting Jared and Caroline Bennett, the history teacher, be in charge of the annual Christmas play. Jared was in drama club all through high school and just the thought of now being in _charge_ of a play gives him the thrills.

He's found the perfect apartment. It's small, but it's not too far from work and the price is good and the shower is big enough for Jared, which is rarely the case.

And best of all, Mike, one of his colleagues, introduced him to his friend Jensen. Jensen, who works in advertising, is gorgeous and funny and asked Jared out the first day they met. Jensen, who Jared's been going out with for the past couple of months and is everything Jared ever dreamed a boyfriend could be.

So yeah, Jared's life? Rocks. 

That is, until one day towards the end of November, Jensen offhandedly mentions that he doesn't do Christmas.

"You what?" Jared asks, looking up from his dessert. Jensen made a chocolate tart, and if Jared wasn't already convinced that he wants to marry Jensen one day, this would have done it.

"I don't really do Christmas," Jensen repeats, with an awkward shrug and a sheepish look.

"How can someone _not do Christmas_? It's only the best time of the year. And it's not like Valentine's Day where you can lock yourself in your room and pretend it doesn't exist and commiserate with all the other poor schmucks who are single. Christmas, Jensen. It's everywhere and you can't avoid it and why would you even _want_ to?" Jared takes a deep breath when he's done and taps his fingers against the surface of the table, waiting for Jensen's answer. Jensen's only looking at him with wide eyes though.

"You feel strongly about this," he finally says and Jared gapes. 

"Well, yeah. My boyfriend doesn't want to celebrate Christmas and it's only my favorite time of the year. I don't see how we can find a compromise unless you decide not to see me for the whole month of December, man, because believe me, I go all out. I decorate and sing Christmas songs all day and I buy presents for pretty much every person I even remotely know."

"I didn't say we couldn't do anything. We can exchange presents," Jensen says in a soothing voice, giving Jared a small smile. Jensen's good at faking smiles, Jared knows this, but this one? Jensen's not even trying. He just looks sad.

"I don't want to force you to celebrate something you don't want to."

"It's not that. I just. I haven't celebrated Christmas in a few years, Jay, that's all." Jensen gets up, takes Jared's empty plate and his own, which still holds half a slice of tart, and carries them to the sink and Jared feels like the biggest ass in the history of mankind, maybe living organisms all together.

"Oh," he says and gets up, joining Jensen. He slides his arms around Jensen's waist, pulling him until Jensen's back's pressed to his chest. "Because of your family."

He feels Jensen shrug against him. "It's no big deal."

"Jensen," Jared says in a soft voice and presses a kiss to Jensen's neck. It is a big deal, he thinks, it's a _huge_ fucking deal when your family kicks you out of their lives for being who you are. When someone like Jensen, who's one of the best people Jared has met in his life, suddenly finds himself alone, abandoned by the people who were supposed to love him unconditionally. 

"Hey," Jensen says, turning around in Jared's embrace to face him. "It's been years. I'm fine, Jay."

"I just think that no one should be alone on Christmas."

"It was my choice. Chris and Steve always offered, a couple of other friends too. I just didn't want to, you know, intrude."

"You wouldn't intrude," Jared argues, scowling at Jensen. "Your friends love you. I'm sure they asked you because they wanted you around, not because they felt obligated to."

Jensen shrugs. "I've only met their families a few times, I can't just pop up there for Christmas. And it's not that bad, I'm not sitting here on my own crying all night. I usually use that time to catch up on some work and have a couple of beers. Pre-Christmas season's always crazy in advertising and you fall behind on so much that it takes weeks to catch up."

Jared resists the urge to cross his arms and huff, but just barely. Instead he tightens his arms around Jensen and presses his lips to Jensen's temple. "You're coming home with me this year."

"Jay." Jensen shuffles closer, tilting his head down and dropping small, soft kisses to Jared's throat. "Did you listen to what I just said?"

"You justified why you didn't want to spend Christmas with your friends. In case you've forgotten, I'm your boyfriend, so the reasons don't apply to me," Jared argues. "And if I tell my mom you're spending Christmas on your own and I end up coming home on my own, she'll kick my ass."

Jared feels Jensen tense in his arm for a moment and he readies himself to fight until he gets his way, but then Jensen just sighs and relaxes. "Promise me you'll ask your mom and not just spring this on her?"

Jared pulls away, keeping his hands on Jensen's arms and grins widely. "Really?"

Jensen shrugs. "Can I talk you out of this?"

Jared shakes his head, his smile unwavering and Jensen rolls his eyes. "So it's easier to just give in right away."

Jared leans forward and kisses Jensen, feels the full, soft lips curve into a smile under his and makes a mental note to call his mother as soon as possible.

~

That night, Jared lies awake listening to Jensen's steady breathing, trying not to move around too much and jostle Jensen. They both have work the next morning, and it's bad enough that one of them isn't getting any sleep.

Jared carefully reaches out and places his hand on Jensen's chest, feeling his heart beating strongly under his palm, and looks at Jensen's face illuminated by the few stray beams of moonlight. He imagines what it must have been like the last few years, spending Christmas on his own. Because no matter how much Jensen insists that it wasn't that bad, Jared knows it must have hurt, must have been lonely. 

Jensen shifts a little, making a soft noise in his sleep before settling down again. Jared holds his breath, waiting to see if Jensen will wake up. When he doesn't, Jared smiles, leaning close and brushing his lips lightly over Jensen's temple in a chaste kiss. "You'll have the best fucking Christmas anybody ever had this year," he whispers.

~

Jared starts making a list, fittingly titled _Jensen's Best Freaking Christmas Ever_ , while his students are working on their reading assignment, or at least pretending to. It's not that long ago that Jared went to school, or at least college, and he's not stupid enough to believe that everyone's working dutifully. He can tell that Ethan and Olivia are passing notes, Ashley is secretly typing away on her cell under the table and Ryan is reading a comic. Usually, Jared would kindly remind them that they actually have a task, but he has other things to do today than reign in a few bored students.

His list doesn't say much yet, just _'tree, perfect present, lights and stuff, cookies (Christmas isn't Christmas without cookies – ask Mom for recipe!)'_. It's not nearly enough, because Jensen is going to get the best Christmas ever even if it kills Jared. He's tempted to ask his students for advice, but he figures he can wait until lunch to ask people closer to Jensen's age who know there's more to the holidays than getting an Xbox or the new bike you always wanted.

He sighs, stares down at the piece of paper and worries his pencil between his lips, waiting for the bell to finally ring.

By the end of the day, he's added a considerable number of items to the list thanks to Lauren and Jill, two of his female colleagues. Mike's suggestions were mostly nixed due to being either too kinky or too weird (Jared highly doubts Jensen'd like it if Jared gets Jensen's name tattooed across his chest or sings _I Will Always Love You_ to him at their favorite bar). 

He goes home with a smile, starts pulling out boxes of Christmas decorations and calls him mom to ask for recipes and if Jensen can come home with him on Christmas. His mother's been wanting to meet Jensen pretty much since the day Jared first mentioned him, so he's really not surprised when all she says is: "Oh, baby. We'd love nothing more than to have Jensen here for the holidays," but he still feels warmth curl in the pit of his stomach and smiles. After the call, Jared grabs his wallet and keys. There are tons of things he needs to buy, and he figures his students can wait a few days for him to grade papers and pop quizzes.

~

December 1st seems like the perfect day to start off the Christmas season. When Jensen comes home from work, Jared's already waiting at his house. He meets him in the hallway, kissing him softly before Jensen can even shrug out of his jacket.

"What are you doing here?" Jensen asks, sounding surprised but not like he particularly minds.

"You gave me a key," Jared reminds him.

Jensen strips off his heavy jacket and unwinds his scarf, giving Jared a playful glare. "Should I start regretting that decision?"

"Please, it's the second best decision you ever made."

Jensen grins. "Yeah? And what's the first, Padalecki?"

Jared catches Jensen around the waist as he tries stepping past him and tugs him close, grinning at him. "Asking me out," he says, and leans down to kiss Jensen. Jensen cups his cheek, his hand cold against Jared's warm skin, and Jared sighs softly. When Jensen starts nibbling at his lower lips playfully before soothing the same spot with his tongue, Jared pulls away. He has plans and right now they don't include letting Jensen drag him into the bedroom and having his way with him, no matter how tempting the thought is. 

"I have a surprise for you," he says, brushing his lips over Jensen's one last time.

Jensen raises one eyebrow, grinning. "Yeah?"

"And it doesn't involve either of us getting naked," Jared adds, and laughs when Jensen pretends to pout. He pushes Jensen away and spins him around, sliding one hand over Jensen's eyes. "If you're good, we can get to the naked part later."

"This better be a good surprise," Jensen grumbles, but he lets Jared lead him.

"Hmm," Jared hums, pressing his body against Jensen's from behind and wrapping his free arm around Jensen's shoulders. "You'll like it." 

He leads them into the living room and halts. "Okay, keep your eyes closed for me for a moment. No peeking."

"Jared."

"Promise, Jen."

"Fine, I'll keep my eyes closed. I swear," Jensen concedes. "And tell me that smell is coming from the fireplace and you're not burning down my house."

"You'll see." Jared presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek before letting go. He quickly plugs in the lights he's strung around the windows and turns off the rest of the lights before returning to Jensen's side. "Okay, open your eyes."

He watches Jensen's face closely as Jensen's eyes flutter open and widen as he takes in the room. It's not much, just a garland strung across the mantle, lights in the windows, and a fire in the fireplace, but with the lights off it looks festive. "I tried to keep it minimal or I figured you'd kick me out. If I'd had my way, you wouldn't even recognize your living room beneath all the lights and sparkle."

Jensen chuckles softly and turns to Jared. "You're such a girl," he says, but his voice is soft, disbelieving and he's smiling. 

"You like it?"

"It's not too bad."

Jared grins. "Okay. There's more, you know."

"More?" Jensen looks at him with amusement. 

"Well, a few more lights across the house, but nothing fancy. And there's a surprise for you in the kitchen," he admits, sliding his hand into Jensen's and tugging. "Wanna see?"

"If you promise I'll like it."

"I'm pretty sure you will," Jared grins and pulls Jensen along into the kitchen and to the fridge. Apart from a few photos, most of the things Jensen keeps pinned to it with magnets have been taken off and are stacked neatly on the counter. A string of thick gift ribbon is pinned up instead, 25 small, flat presents hanging from it. "You get to open on each day."

Jensen cranes his head around and grins at Jared. "What's this about, Jay? You know I'm not a kid, right?"

"You know I don't care, right?" Jared counters. "And you better get used to it, because there's a lot more to come. You're going to have the best Christmas you ever had this year."

"Jared," Jensen says with a small sigh and his smile slips a little. "I'm not the Grinch who needs convincing that Christmas is awesome. You didn't have to do any of this. I told you I'm fine."

"Maybe I want to though," Jared replies in a low voice and squeezes the hand he's still holding. "Just try to enjoy it. For me? You don't even have to get me a present for Christmas, just … go along with this and try to have some fun."

Jensen looks back at the fridge and Jared wishes he could see his face, know what he's thinking. Jensen gives a small nod then and nudges Jared's shoulder with his. "I think I can do that."

"Thank you." Jared leans forward and kisses Jensen's temple. "I promise I won't have anything planned you'll hate. Now, get some scissors and open the first one."

Jensen retrieves scissors from one of the drawer and quickly cuts off the first package, tearing it open carefully. Jared watches his pull out a square piece of cardboard and Jensen chuckles, turning to Jared holding up the card. _A kiss_ is written across it. "Do I get it now?"

"Whenever you want."

Jensen closes the short distance between them and wraps his arms around Jared's neck, grinning widely. "I think I want it now then," he says.

"Can be arranged," Jared replies and leans down, slanting his lips over Jensen's and winds his arms around Jensen. He slides his tongue past Jensen's half parted lips, letting it dance over Jensen's playfully, and sighs into the wet heat.

~

For the rest of the weekdays Jared hasn't made any plans, but Jensen seems happy just opening tiny packages each morning. On Wednesday, Jensen opens the second package while they're having breakfast at Jensen's.

"I get a hug," he says with a smile, waving the card in front of Jared's a face.

"Want it now?" Jared asks and drinks the rest of his coffee down in one gulp. "I don't think I can come over tonight or tomorrow, I need to catch up on grading papers."

"I'm pretty busy, too," Jensen replies ruefully. "I can't wait for a few days off at the end of the month, man."

"We'll make up for it on the weekend. Don't make any plans, okay? In fact, don't make any plans for the rest of the weekends this month, 'cause I got plans for you."

"My friends will be delighted."

Jared stuffs the rest of his bagel into his mouth, chews a few times and swallows quickly. "They can see you during the week, so they'll deal. And they'll mostly be busy with Christmas stuff themselves."

"Fine. If they don't like it, I'll direct all complaints to you." Jensen looks down at his watch and sighs. "I need to leave soon. Give me that hug, Padalecki."

"Whatever you wish," Jared shoots back with a smirk and leaps of his stool, rounding the counter. He pulls Jensen into a hug, nuzzling the spot above Jensen's ear and holds him close. He doesn't let go when Jensen tries to step back after a few moments, and Jensen gives in, falling back into Jared's embrace and burying his face in Jared's neck. 

Jared listens to Jensen's steady breathing, feels his chest expand and deflate against his own and matches his own breathing to it. "I'll miss you," he whispers and Jensen chuckles, warm puffs of air hitting Jared's neck. 

"Just a couple of days."

"Hmm. Still."

"Yeah," Jensen agrees and presses a kiss to Jared's skin just where neck and shoulder meet. In his head, Jared calls it _Jensen's spot_ , because it's where Jensen's face rests when they hug, where Jensen likes to drop sweet, little kisses. It's probably become Jared's favorite part of his body ever since he met Jensen.

They pull apart slowly and Jensen pulls his face down into a soft, quick kiss. "We need to leave or we'll both be late for work."

"I can't wait 'til Friday."

"I'll call you some time tomorrow," Jensen promises and kisses him one more time before they part, bundling up in coats and scarves and gathering keys, wallets, and briefcases. Outside, Jared presses Jensen against his car, covering Jensen's lips one last time before saying goodbye.

On Thursday, Jensen calls him during his lunch break, tells Jared he owes him a foot rub, and then texts him _'one dinner – is it a home cooked one? do I need to be scared and write my will beforehand?'_ on Friday morning. Jared chuckles and texts back _'funny. i make a mean steak and you know it. see u tonight!'_ before driving to school, tapping his fingers against the wheel in excitement the whole drive.

~

Jared lets himself into Jensen's house, puts on Christmas music and calls the Italian place a couple of blocks away for take-out. Jensen comes home not twenty minutes later and Jared calls out, "I'm in the kitchen." as soon as he hears the front door closing.

"You again," Jensen says with a fake scowl as he enters the room, his cheeks red from the cold and rubbing his hands together.

"Yup, you invite me in once and I never leave. Too bad nobody warned you," Jared replies, putting down the beer he's been drinking down and closing the magazine he's been reading, and accepts a short kiss from Jensen. He takes Jensen's hands between his and massages them gently. "How was work?"

"Hell. Half of the staff is down with a cold and everyone's running around aimlessly. Seriously, a few assistants are out and people act as if nobody else is capable of answering phones."

"Sorry," Jared mumbles and kisses him again. "Food's gonna be here in a couple of minutes and I brought a few movies to watch."

"God," Jensen groans. "How'd I ever survive without you, huh?"

"No idea," Jared grins. "Come on, grab a beer and we'll settle on the couch. I can give you that food rub later if you want."

They're halfway to the living room when the doorbell chimes, and Jared pushes Jensen along and hurries to the door. When he returns with their food and forks, Jensen's looking through the stack of DVDs Jared put on the coffee table. The strings of lights in the windows are on, bathing the room in a soft glow. "Christmas movies, huh?" Jensen asks when Jared plops down next to him. 

"Yup. Only the best for you."

"Jared. I'd agree if you brought _Die Hard_ or _It's A Wonderful Life_. But _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_? _Polar Express_? _Love Actually_?" The last is said with a particularly disbelieving tone and Jared frowns.

"Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Do I need say more? And the other two are cute," he defends.

Jensen gives him a pointed look. "You want to watch _Love Actually_ , don't you?"

"I told you, you could choose. And if you want to watch _Die Hard_ , we can. I know you got the DVD." Jared shrugs it off, giving Jensen a smile, and starts opening the food containers until he finds the appetizers he ordered. 

Jensen presses a kiss to Jared's cheek. "Well, I'm choosing to watch what my boyfriend wants to watch. But if I fall asleep halfway through, don't wake me 'til it's over."

"Whatever," Jared replies with a grin, and slaps Jensen's ass when he gets up. "You'll love it. Hugh Grant. Colin Firth. I think I mentioned them before, but it bears repeating."

Jensen returns to the couch, remote in hand, and sits down close to Jared. "So you secretly want an English guy, huh?"

"Yup. But I couldn't find one so I settled for someone from Texas, who's mostly lost his accent so he doesn't even sound sexy, but at least it makes my momma happy."

"Oh, I'll show you my accent later," Jensen growls and Jared laughs, handing him a small carton with shrimps while he takes the ham-zucchini rolls, stuffing one into his mouth and humming happily.

Jensen chuckles, starts the movie and then holds up a shrimp for Jared. 

By the end of the movie, all the containers are empty, a few more beer bottles have joined the first ones and they're curled up on the couch, Jensen rubbing lazy circles onto Jared's thigh with his thumb.

"Wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Nah," Jensen replies through a yawn.

"And Hugh Grant's hot."

"Whatever, Jared," Jensen says with a laugh, slapping Jared's thigh. "Come on, let's clean up and go to bed."

"Tired?" Jared asks and stretches his arms over his head before getting up. Jensen looks up at him with a smirk. 

"No. But I haven't gotten laid since Tuesday night."

Jared halts reaching for the empty cartons and turns around. He rests his hands on Jensen's thigh and leans down to kiss him lightly. "You can have sex somewhere else than on a bed, too, you know."

"Yeah, let's try the couch. Last time we did, we only fell off halfway through and I nearly broke my neck," Jensen replies sarcastically and pats Jared's cheek, standing up himself.

"That's because your couch is tiny."

"Right, gigantor," Jensen nods. "If you stop complaining and help me clean up quickly, you'll get an additional blowjob."

Jared chuckles, grabbing as many cartons as he can. "I was never complaining," he promises.

Fifteen minutes later he's sprawled out on Jensen's bed, biting his lips hard enough to tear skin as Jensen takes him all the way down his throat and then swallows around him.

"Fuck," Jared hisses and his hips come off the mattress. Jensen makes a soft noise, the sound vibrating around Jared's dick, and holds him down with one strong hand. "Sorry," Jared mutters around a moan, fisting one hand in the sheets.

Jensen slides up again, leaving just the tip of Jared's cock in his mouth, cool air hitting the spit-wet skin. A low whine escapes Jared and God, nobody's ever driven him this crazy with just a blowjob. Jensen swirls his tongue over his cock and then presses it just under the rim as Jared feels a slippery finger slide behind his balls, nudging his hole. 

"Yeah, Jen. Please," he groans. Jensen slides his mouth back down, wet heat surrounding Jared's cock, and he presses the first finger into Jared. 

He opens Jared up slowly, adding a second then a third finger, nudging and curling his fingers inside of him while bobbing up and down on his cock slow enough to keep Jared from coming, but enough to make his stomach clench with pleasure.

When he pulls off, Jared lets out a protesting huff and Jensen nudges Jared's prostate. "Jesus," Jared groans.

Jensen chuckles softly, pulling his fingers out with a plop. "Turn around," he orders while reaching for a condom. Jared does, pulling himself up onto his hands and knees as he listens to Jensen uncapping the lube.

He feels Jensen's dick nudge against his entrance, one of Jensen's hands holding on to his hip and then Jensen presses in slowly. The familiar burn and slight pain make Jared squeeze his eyes shut and he lets out a low moan.

"So tight, Jay," Jensen mutters, and drops wet, sloppy kisses to the top of Jared's spine. "You okay?"

"Yes," Jared hisses and moves back experimentally. "Come on, move."

"God, yeah. Yeah," Jensen mutters and does. He pushes into Jared with long, slow strokes at first, before picking up speed quickly. Both his hands grip Jared's hips hard enough to leave bruises as he fucks him, and Jared pushes back, wanting more. He feels sweat drip down his forehead and pool at the small of his back. Reaching between his legs, he wraps one sweat slicked hand around his cock and jerks it in rhythm to Jensen's thrusts, the muscles in his other arm starting to quiver and his body burning with pleasure.

It doesn't take long before he feels his balls draw up, feels white heat explode inside of him. He comes hard, collapsing onto the mattress and moans through his aftershocks as Jensen keeps thrusting into him until he comes inside of Jared. 

He grunts when Jensen pulls out and tries to shift out of the wet spot, but only manages to spread it around more before Jensen falls down half on top of him.

Jensen nuzzles his neck, pressing soft kisses to the skin there. "God, Jared," he mumbles and sighs.

Jared chuckles, feeling his heart still beating wildly, and nudges Jensen away to turn over. He pulls him into a sloppy kiss, tangling their legs together as Jensen tugs blankets over them.

~

"Eat your eggs a little faster, we have a busy day ahead of us," Jared says good-naturedly as he passes Jensen to put his dirty dishes into the dishwasher.

"Can't we go back to bed?" Jensen asks, giving him a pleading look. "It's too early to even be awake." 

"Nope," Jared replies and wraps his arms around Jensen's waist from behind, holding him tight as Jensen wavers on the stool to keep him from slipping off.

"That's not very Christmassy."

"It is. We have very Christmassy plans. We need to get a tree, and go shopping for food and a few more decorations."

"We have the whole day to do that," Jensen argues and tilts his head. Jared gives him a quick kiss before releasing him completely.

"We're doing something else later today."

"You owe me breakfast in bed. I could ask for that now," Jensen replies, tapping his fingers against the piece of cardboard lying on the counter next to his coffee mug.

"But you won't," Jared says. "Get dressed, Ackles."

Jensen grumbles something under his breath, but gets up and stomps back upstairs. Jared's tempted to leave Jensen's dirty dishes where they are just to spite him, but then he reminds himself that this is about Jensen having a good Christmas and he'd figured out Jensen wasn't exactly a morning person the first time he stayed over. 

When they get to the Christmas tree lot, Jensen's the one being picky about what tree they'll take, and Jared smiles to himself and tags along happily. He nods along to Jensen's assessments of _"Too small," "Too big," "The branches are too sparse,"_ and _"I think I'd rather have a Douglas fir. I like the scent better."_

"This one?" Jared finally asks, pointing to a tree next to him.

Jensen looks it up and down, circles it and then grins. "Looks perfect," he agrees. "I know I'm being a pain in the ass, but my dad and I were always responsible for picking out the tree and we'd look for hours until we found the right one."

Jared's smile slips a little and he takes Jensen's hand in his, even if it's awkward with the thick gloves they're wearing. "We don't have to do stuff if it brings back memories of your family."

"I'm good. I think this might be just what I need," Jensen reassures him and gives him a smile.

"Making new memories?"

"Exactly."

"Well, come on then. Let's get this one and then make a stop at a grocery store," Jared suggests and gives Jensen a quick, chaste kiss.

~

They decorate the tree together, Jared singing along to the Christmas songs playing in the background while Jensen pretends to wince every time Jared misses a note (which happens more often than Jared actually _hitting_ a note).

The tree ends up being a little too colorful, a little too bright, and a little too sparkly, mostly because of Jared, but they both just grin at it and laugh when Jensen says, "Looks like it's straight out of a catalogue."

"Okay, what next?" Jensen asks as they put away the empty boxes. "Judging by the amount of flour, sugar, and chocolate we bought, I assume we're baking?"

"Yes," Jared agrees enthusiastically. "Mrs. Aberman's cookies."

"Mrs. Aberman's cookies, huh?" 

"She was our neighbor and she made the best Christmas cookies ever, man. And then she had to remarry and move away when I was thirteen."

"The nerve," Jensen says in mock outrage and Jared pushes him playfully.

"She was in her mid-seventies. She was supposed to remain single and bake for me forever. At least she left my mom the recipe before moving. Also, it wasn't until then that my mom found out there was rum in the cookies, but my dad talked her into letting us have them anyway because it hadn't hurt us the previous years and they're baked anyway, so all the alcohol probably evaporated."

Jensen laughs loudly, his head thrown back, and Jared grins to himself, watching him. Jensen probably never looks as beautiful as he does when he laughs, loud and carefree, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. And God, Jared loves him. Loves him so much it hurts sometimes, and the realization makes Jared hold his breath for a moment, before smiling so widely it almost aches.

~

On Sunday, Jared takes Jensen to the Christkindlmarket, Chicago's most famous Christmas festival that Lauren claimed they just had to go to. They hold hands as they walk past endless vendors, stopping at almost every stall and Jensen talks Jared out of a million things he wants to buy. Jared's kind of glad, because he really doesn't need a cuckoo clock or any more ornaments for their Christmas trees. Instead they eat until even Jared's stomach aches a little, and drink 'glühwein,' Jensen laughing when Jared tries to pronounce it the same way the vendor does and fails utterly.

"I was pretty damn close," Jared argues as he sips the hot beverage.

"Sure, Jay," Jensen says, his voice placating, and Jared sticks his tongue out, which only makes Jensen chuckle again. Jared silences him with a kiss, halting in the middle of the path, people pushing past them left and right. 

"You'll get us in trouble one day," Jensen mutters when they pull away, glancing around them. 

"I can take whatever trouble people wanna dish out," Jared replies, squaring his shoulders and standing tall. Jensen's looks him up and down slowly.

"Better stop or you're really getting us in trouble," he says and Jared grins, a split-second thought of dragging Jensen behind one of the stalls and getting down onto his knees running through his mind.

Jensen swats him. "I know what you're thinking. And it's not happening."

Jared pouts. "No sense of adventure," he mocks.

"I don't wanna have to call someone to bail our asses out of jail. And I don't want my cock to freeze off either."

"Excuses," Jared declares, but slides his arm around Jensen's shoulder and walks him to the next booth. He leans down until his mouth brushes against Jensen's ear and whispers, "As soon as we get home, I'mma push you against the wall and fuck you till you scream."

"God, you're incorrigible," Jensen mutters. "And I'll give you ten more minutes to look at stuff before we're going back to the car and going home."

"Know what? I think I've seen enough," Jared replies quickly and cranes his head, looking for the quickest way back to the parking lot.

~

For most of the week, Jared gets swept up in last minute preparations for the school play they're putting on that Friday. He has to calm down nervous students, take care of last minute costume mishaps, and convince Ally, one of their leads, that she, in fact, hasn't forgotten all her lines over night. The final rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon is a disaster. He sits next to Caroline and they both wince when the students stumble over their lines, miss cues, stand in the wrong places, and bump into each other.

"Dress rehearsals have to go wrong, right?" she asks in a whisper.

Jared grimaces. "Guess we'll find out if that's a myth or not tomorrow night."

He tries to make his last speech as encouraging and positive as possible before sending everyone home.

Inside his own car, he cranks up the heat, shuts off the radio when it starts blasting _Last Christmas_ and just sits in the parked car for a few moments. He calls Jensen, pinching the bridge of his nose to fend off the approaching headache. 

"Hey, you home already?" Jensen asks when he picks up.

"Just got out of school. You up for doing something tonight?"

Jared hears papers rustling in the background. "Sure. Just finishing up a few things at home. You wanna come over?"

"Yeah. I need something uplifting right now."

"Bad day?"

Jared groans and rests his forehead against the wheel. "I'm thinking about uninviting you tomorrow night so you don't have to witness my biggest failure to date."

Jensen laughs softly. "No way, I'm coming. If it's really that bad, you'll need someone to hug you and cheer you up afterwards."

"Thanks, Jen," Jared says and starts his car. "I'll be at your place in half an hour, unless I get stuck in traffic somewhere. With the way the day's been going, I'd say chances are actually pretty high."

"Okay, I'll be waiting. Dinner should be ready by the time you here."

"You're the best," Jared says, his stomach rumbling at the mention of food. 

Forty minutes later, he parks his car in Jensen's driveway and feels some of the tension fall away, his body relaxing at the thought of being with Jensen. Of being home. He might have an apartment twenty minutes from here, but in the last weeks it's been nothing more than the place he occasionally sleeps at weeknights. 

At the door, he's greeted with a smile and a kiss. Jensen watches him discard his coat before shooing him into the kitchen and telling him to sit down at the set table. 

"You want a glass of wine with dinner?" he asks as he takes their plates to the stove.

"That'd be awesome. Is there a bottle in the fridge?" Jared makes to get up, but Jensen scowls at him.

"You stay put. I can handle it."

Jared sinks back down onto the chair and leans back. "Why'd I think volunteering to do the play would be a great idea again?"

"Because you love acting and you love your students," Jensen suggests, setting down a plate with mashed potatoes, a steak, and salad in front of Jared. 

"Yeah, but apparently not those two things together. I don't think any of my dress rehearsals ever went that bad in high school."

Jensen kisses him quickly. "That's cause you're a geek. You probably knew your lines a week into rehearsals."

"I did not," Jared argues weekly. 

Jensen laughs as he gets the wine. "Two weeks?"

"Maybe."

"Geek," Jensen repeats and sits down across from Jared. He pours the wine into their glasses and holds his up. "To a good performance tomorrow."

Jared chuckles and clinks his glass against Jensen's. "Or having to flee the country tomorrow."

~

There are a few minor glitches, but for the most part the play goes fine, and judging by the applause at the end, Jared doesn't have to hide for the next few weeks. Of course, most of the audience is either related to or friends with the students acting, and it doesn't get much more biased than that, but compared to rehearsal the day before, the performance is Oscar worthy. He searches the audience for Jensen as his students usher him out onto the stage and gives him a small wave, and Jensen holds up both thumbs. And yeah, that's the only assessment that mattered to Jared anyway.

It takes forever until Jared's done talking to students, teachers, and parents after the play, and Jensen stays in the background, talking to Mike and waiting for Jared to be done. Jared doesn't dare do more than rest his hand on Jensen's shoulder blade as they leave, despite his colleagues knowing he's gay and he can't really get in trouble if any of the parents raise complaints. 

"I took a cab," Jensen says when they reach the parking lot. "Figured I could come back home with you."

"Your place or mine?"

"Doesn't really matter," Jensen shrugs as they get into the car. He peers outside before leaning over and kissing Jared quickly. "It was good."

"Thank you," Jared breathes out and beams, feeling pride settle inside him. "The kids were good."

"I'm sure you deserve some of the credit as well."

Jared refuses to look at Jensen as he feels himself actually blush. He starts the car instead and carefully drives them home over the ice-slick streets. 

They go back to Jensen's place, and once the front door falls shut behind them, Jensen leans in close and trails kisses along Jared's jaw. "I wanna cash in one of the cards now."

"Yeah?" Jared asks and undoes Jensen's coat, sliding it off his shoulders. "Which one?"

"Blowjob," Jensen replies. Jared smirks and drops to his knees without hesitation, Jensen gasping out his name.

He shrugs off his own coat and reaches for Jensen's fly as soon as his hands are free. Pushing Jensen's jeans down to mid thigh, he leans in, nuzzling his nose against Jensen's briefs, feels the still soft cock underneath. He hears Jensen's fall back against the wall with a soft thud and noses Jensen's sweater up an inch, dropping kisses against the skin just above his waistband. Reaching around Jensen, he grabs his ass with both hands and kneading the flesh gently. 

"You smell so good," he mumbles, feeling Jensen harden against his chin. He slides a hand beneath one leg of the briefs, Jensen's skin smooth and warm underneath his palm.

"God Jared," Jensen mumbles, sliding his hands into Jared's hair. He doesn't push or tug, just rests them there. Jared presses his lips to the outline of Jensen's dick and Jensen's hips twitch under his hands. He trails openmouthed kisses along the hardening length, feeling the cloth dampen under his mouth, and Jensen whines lowly.

"Please. Come on."

"Shhh," Jared whispers and leans back a little to pull Jensen's briefs off. "I got you."

He avoids Jensen's cock as he kisses Jensen's thighs, softly biting the skin at the groove between thigh and groin before moving higher. He kisses and nips every inch he can reach, halting at Jensen's hipbone and sucking the soft, thin skin between his lips, bringing blood to the surface. 

"Jared, come on. Stop teasing," Jensen pleads and yelps when Jared bites down, flinching away before pushing back against Jared as he soothes his tongue over the same spot. He sits back on his haunches, regarding the hickey he sucked into Jensen's skin, stark red against the pale skin. 

He looks up, meets Jensen's eyes and finds Jensen flushed and biting his lower lip. "Come on," Jensen repeats, and Jared grins, pressing a final kiss to the spot before focusing on Jensen's dick. He trails a few stray kisses along it, before wrapping his hand around the base. He runs his tongue up the shaft, Jensen's breath hitching, and stops at the top. He closes his lips around his, his dry hand stroking Jensen slowly, and then lowers his head, letting Jensen slide into his mouth inch by inch. 

"Yes," Jensen hisses and his grip on Jared tightens.

Jared goes slow, taking Jensen only part way, his hand continuing to work the base with steady strokes.

"Jared," Jensen whines. "Please. More."

Jared chuckles around Jensen's cock, feeling his own dick hard and pressing uncomfortable against his pants. He grabs Jensen's hip, holding him still, as he takes Jensen in farther, lets him slide down his throat until pubic hairs brush against his nose. Jensen's breathing harshly, his hands twisted in Jared's hair almost painfully. Jared pushes Jensen back with his hands a little before pulling him back in. He repeats the movement, letting Jensen almost slide out of his mouth. "Come on," he mutters, looking up at Jensen through his lashes, "fuck my mouth." 

Jensen moans, and Jared guides his hips until Jensen does it himself, fucking in and out of Jared's mouth and groaning loudly, the sounds echoing in the empty hallway. Jared keeps his throat lax, lets Jensen push in as far as he wants and slowly breathes in through his nose. It's messy, spit and precum tricking down Jared's chin and Jared desperately wants to take his own cock out, jerk off in time with Jensen's thrusts. Instead he slides one hand to his lips, gathering the spit there with one finger and then pushes it into his mouth, wetting it. 

He slides the finger behind Jensen's balls, stopping at Jensen's hole and running it over the muscle.

"Please," Jensen mutters, moving back against the finger, before thrusting his hips forward again, into Jared's mouth. Jared gives Jensen's hip a reassuring squeeze with his free hand as he presses inside. Jensen lets out a sobbing noise. He's movements become less controlled, hips moving frantically as Jared fucks him with his finger slowly, nudging it against his prostate.

Within moments, Jensen grips Jared's hair tightly. "I'mma come, Jay," he moans and Jared pulls his head back a little as Jensen comes into his mouth, hot spurts of come hitting his tongue as Jensen freezes and gasps. 

He pulls his finger out, licking Jensen’s dick clean as he feels Jensen soften, and then lets him slip out of his mouth. Jensen's trembling under his palms, and he slides down the wall, ending up in Jared's lap, jeans and briefs tangled around his knees. 

"You okay?" Jared asks with a smile and trails kisses down the bridge of Jensen's nose before catching his lips in a sloppy kiss.

"Hmm," Jensen hums and rests his head on Jared's shoulder. "Jesus."

Jared chuckles and wraps his arms around Jensen's back, holds him for a moment. "Come on, let's go upstairs and get you into bed."

Jensen shifts a little. "You're still hard," he mumbles.

"Upstairs," Jared repeats and releases Jensen. They untangle, Jensen trying to pull his clothes back up as he stands. He leans into Jared once he's done. 

"I think you broke me," he says playfully and tilts his head back, smiling widely.

~

They spend Saturday downtown, strolling past endless stores and boutiques, taking in the Christmas decorations and buying presents for Jared's family, Jensen insisting on paying for some of them.

"When are we flying to San Antonio anyway?" he asks as they sit down at a table in a small café. 

"On the 26th. We gotta leave pretty early though so we make it there for lunch."

Jensen halts his movements, his coat halfway down his arms. "You're not gonna be home on Christmas?"

Jared shakes his head, smiling at the waitress bringing them their drinks and pie that he ordered at the counter. "I talked to my mom and my siblings aren't coming home until Saturday either." He grins wider when the waitress sets everything down. "Thanks."

"Thanks," Jensen echoes and waits until the waitress has turned back around. "Does this have anything to do with me?"

"No," Jared answers honestly. "My sister's spending Christmas at her boyfriend's parents' place and they're flying to Texas together on the 26th. And my brother's spending Christmas with his in-laws. It was my parents' turn last year and they're alternating every year so nobody gets upset."

"I was asking about _you_ though, Jared. If it wasn't for me, would you have flown out earlier?"

"Well, sure. Why would I spent Christmas Eve on my own?" he replies and nudges Jensen's leg with his foot when he sees Jensen's face fall. "Jen, if my brother didn't have a wife and a kid, he would be with my parents on Christmas as well. Same goes for my sister. It's the same thing with us. And my parents don't mind, they're going to my grandparents' for dinner and we'll all just have our own Christmas together on Saturday."

Jensen runs a hand through his hair and looks out the window for a moment before turning back to Jared. "I want you to be where you want to be, regardless of me."

"Well, that's impossible. Cause I wanna be with you, okay? So, that's what I'm doing," he assures. "It's actually pretty exciting, spending Christmas with a boyfriend for the first time."

"Yeah? It's the first time?"

Jared nods and smiles. "And it's shaping up to be a really awesome Christmas so far."

"For me, too," Jensen admits.

Jared toasts Jensen with his hot chocolate and takes a deep swig, sighing happily. He tangles his feet with Jensen's under the table and reaches for the fork, taking a bite of his cran-raspberry pie.

"Do we have anything else planned for the day?" Jensen asks, holding his coffee between his hands.

"Bar. Order from Mike and a few of your friends. They're gonna come and drag us out if we don't show our faces voluntarily," Jared admits and reaches for Jensen's apple pie, breaking off a piece and scooping it up, popping it into his mouth. "Not very Christmassy."

"A couple of beers with the boys don't sound too bad, actually."

"Getting sick of me already?"

"Yeah," Jensen admits with a sigh. "The sex isn't that good anymore either."

Jared nods seriously. "I noticed you don't really enjoy it anymore. You seemed downright bored last night."

He holds up his fork to Jensen's mouth, watching his wrap his mouth around it and chewing the pie slowly. "I was," Jensen teases, licking crumbs of his lips. "Back to what we were talking about earlier. Promise me you really don't mind being here on Christmas?"

"Jensen, stop this or I'mma kick your ass," Jared threatens and tries to look scolding. 

A small smile tugs at Jensen's lips. "Okay."

"And I promise," Jared adds in a softer voice and Jensen's smile widens.

~

"You can skate, right?" Jared asks as they reach the rink.

"No," Jensen shoots back. "I have my own ice skates laying around for decoration only, but I can't use them."

Jared shoots a grin over his shoulder. "Somebody's still hungover, huh?"

"Painkillers are starting to kick in."

Jared finds an empty spot, sitting down and pushing off his shoes with his feet while taking off his gloves. "I told you we didn't have to go skating."

Jensen plops down next to him, taking off his own shoes much more slowly. "It's not that bad. Just a couple of beers too many."

Jared chuckles to himself, remembering a half-drunk Jensen joining Chris on stage last night and singing a few songs with him before stumbling back to Jared, making out with him against the bar until Jared had dragged him to the men's room. "A couple, huh?"

"You were the one doing shots with Mike," Jensen replies, knocking his knee against Jared as he ties his skates. 

"I switched to Coke before it was too late though."

Jensen raises his eyebrows. "You did? Cheater."

"I didn't know there were rules."

"Wuss. It's never right to switch to non-alcoholic beverages."

Jared stands up, mumbling a low _whatever_ as he experimentally walks a couple of steps to see if the skates are tied tightly enough. He retrieves his gloves from the pockets of his coat and puts them back on. "Ready?" he asks, holding his hand out to Jensen. Jensen grabs it, taking a few unsteady steps until he's at Jared's side. They walk to the rink carefully and step onto the ice.

"Okay?" Jared asks, giving Jensen's hand a squeeze.

"I'll let you know when I need to throw up," Jensen grins. 

They start skating slowly, hands intertwined between them. Jared lets Jensen set the pace, keeping an eye on him at first but Jensen's pale face gains some color and the fresh air seems to help. After a few rounds, they pick up speed, skating comfortably side by side and Jensen smiles widely at him. 

The air is cold, biting into every inch of exposed skin and Jared pushes his scarf up a little, covering himself up to his jaw and chin. 

"Too cold?" Jensen asks.

Jared shakes his head. "It's okay. We're gonna have loads of hot chocolate later and thaw out," he replies and then stumbles when a teenager whizzes past him, just inches away. He feels strong hands grab his hips tightly and Jensen presses close to him. 

"Okay?" he asks, his mouth close to Jared's ear, keeping them moving and guiding Jared in front of him.

"Yup, fine," Jared replies, craning his head back. Jensen squeezes him once and then moves back to his side, sliding his hand into Jared's again. 

When they stop, it's well into the afternoon and Jared's frozen from head to toe, but grinning widely. They change back into their shoes and Jared wraps his arm around Jensen's shoulders and laughs, stumbling a little as they walk. "It feels so weird without the blades."

Jensen slips his arm around Jared's waist, holding him tightly as they walk. "It was fun though."

"It was," Jared agrees. "But man, I think I'm gonna sleep like the dead tonight."

"Yeah. And I'm really hungry."

"And I want a hot drink."

They reach the car, and Jared's about to open the driver's side when Jensen crowds him against it and kisses him, a cold hand pressing and cupping his jaw, holding him still. "Have I thanked you yet?" he asks when they part. "For everything?"

Jared chuckles and kisses him again. "You really don't need to, Jen."

~

The week before Jared's Christmas break flies by. He watches movies with his students and reads Christmas stories while handing out cookies to everyone. He loves teaching, but this is probably the most fun he's ever had at his job. Everyone's buzzing with excitement and Jared can't keep the grin off his face or the spring out of his step.

Wednesday evening, he talks Jensen into going to Lincoln Park Zoo to see the ZooLights. 

"You've really never been here?" he asks that night, as they walk through the zoo, taking in all the lights decorating trees and making up animals.

"Nope. How do you know about all of this stuff anyway? You just moved here this year."

"Google. And I asked some people." 

"I can't believe you went to all this trouble," Jensen admits and shifts a little closer to Jared as they walk. Jared beams and figures he's pretty well on the way on giving Jensen the best Christmas ever.

~

Friday is the day Jared's secretly been looking forward to the most.

In the morning he's rushing through his apartment, looking for his keys under every surface. He came home late last night after going out to dinner with his colleagues, and he can't remember where he threw his keys when he got home. He's looking under his couch cushions when he phone rings and Jensen's name flashes across the display.

"Hey," he greets. "What's up?"

"I just opened today's package, asshole."

Jared grins. "Good morning to you, too, Jensen. And I don't remember the order of the cards, so I have no idea what today's says."

"Rim job," Jensen says with a growl. "And then you added in detail just what you would do to me."

Jared sits down on the couch and laughs. "I figured you should know just what you're getting before you cash the card in. And you've never had complaints about rimming before."

"I have a meeting first thing this morning and I'm goddamn hard."

"I'd offer phone sex, but I need to find my keys and leave or I'm gonna be late," Jared teases.

"Asshole," Jensen repeats. "I'm gonna get you back for this."

"I'mma make it up to you later tonight. Believe me, you won't have a single complaint once I follow through with what the voucher says."

"You better," Jensen threatens and hangs up. Jared chuckles to himself and goes back to his search.

After classes and endless happy holiday wishes, he goes back to his apartment and packs enough clothes to stay with Jensen for the weekend. He takes care of the grocery shopping for the next few days, stocking up Jensen's fridge, and by the time Jensen gets home, he's ordered pizza and has it waiting on the table. 

"You make a wonderful wife," Jensen teases and kisses Jared's cheek. 

"And I ordered your favorite, too," Jared answers in a sweet, high voice.

"You take such good care of me," Jensen shoots back, lowering his voice to a deep growl.

Jared laughs. "Keep that up and we're not gonna make it through dinner."

"Can't have that," Jensen replies and reaches out to pinch Jared's ass. 

"Yup, especially since we're going somewhere tonight."

"Another Christmas surprise?" Jensen asks, sitting down and putting a slice of pizza on his plate. "So, where are we going?"

"Goodman Theatre, they're performing _A Christmas Carol_." Jared can barely keep his own excitement out of his voice and he grins as Jensen's eyes light up. 

"Seriously? Man, that's my favorite Christmas story. I made my parents read it to me when I was a kid. Every Christmas."

"I've been looking forward to it, too. We performed it in my last year at high school, and man, it was probably the most fun I ever had on stage."

"Who were you?"

Jared blushes. "Scrooge," he replies. "I always played the good guys before and it was so much fun playing a grumpy, selfish guy."

"I can't even imagine you being either grumpy or selfish, even if it's acted," Jensen admits, grinning and Jared feels a smile spread over his own face in return.

"Don't think I can act, huh?" he asks.

Jensen shakes his head. "Don't think you have it in you to be anything but kind and hyper."

"If you only knew. I've punched people." Jared cocks his head to the side and gives Jensen a sheepish look. "Well, I punched _one_ guy once. Asshole cheated on my sister."

Jensen leans over the table, pressing his lips to Jared's and mumbles between kisses, "Kindest. Person. Ever."

~

They spend most of the weekend in bed, cuddling under heaps of blankets as snow falls outside, and they only go outside once, throwing snowballs at each other and making snow angels (after Jared insists and promises sexual favors in exchange). Jensen makes them hot chocolate with rum when they get back inside and they sit in front of the fire place, drinking and eating greasy takeout food.

By Monday morning, Jared feels restless from lazing around too much and when Jensen leaves for work in the morning, he gets up with him and goes running in the crispy, white snow for an hour. He spends most of the beginning of the week doing last-minute shopping, buying a few more presents and hoping all of them will fit into his luggage.

On Thursday, they cook dinner together. Well, Jensen cooks and Jared chops things for him, or stirs the food inside the pots. It's as good as he gets in the kitchen, and Jensen doesn't seem to mind doing most of the work. 

"I'm doing the dishes though," Jared insists, sitting back and looking at the mess they created. "You can watch TV or something if you want to."

"Jay, I owe you for everything you did for me this month. Seriously, this doesn't even get close to making up for it."

"You didn't complain and tagged along through all of it. That's all I wanted from you." Jared shrugs, waving it off and gets up, gathering their empty plates. 

"We'll do it together," Jensen compromises. He gets up and stretches, a small sliver of golden skin between his sweater and jeans showing and Jared kisses him, holding the dirty dishes as far from his body as possible. 

"Okay, dishes and then there should be more of this," Jensen says with a grin, slapping Jared's ass before sidestepping him. Jared doesn't need to be told twice, and they work their way through the endless stacks of pots, plates, and what feels like every kitchen utensil Jensen owns.

They collapse on the couch afterwards, and Jared leans his head back and lets his eyes slide close. "I could take a nap now," he mumbles.

"Or we could make out," Jensen suggests and Jared's eyes spring back open. He grins at Jensen and lets Jensen pull him down, his body covering Jensen's. He leans in for a kiss, lips brushing together and tongues tangling lazily as Jensen runs his hands over Jared's back and ass, spreading his own legs and making Jared slide between them with a low moan. They strip each other leisurely, hands and lips exploring skin as they go.

Jared fucks Jensen slowly, holding onto one of the legs Jensen has wrapped around his waist and kisses Jensen as he thrusts into him. He presses his forehead to Jensen's when he comes, nails digging into smooth skin and his heart beating so fast and strong, Jared swears he can feel it in every cell of his body.

Jensen covers them with a soft blanket, and Jared falls asleep half on top of him, face buried in Jensen's neck and their legs tangled together.

He wakes up a couple hours later to the feeling of Jensen dropping soft kisses to his cheek and jaw. He shifts, stretching before wrapping his arms around Jensen and pulling his close. "What time's it?" he mumbles.

"A little after midnight," Jensen replies in a low voice. Jared tilts his head up for a proper kiss, sighing against Jensen's lips.

"Merry Christmas." 

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Jared." Jensen looks at him, face illuminated by the lights from the Christmas tree and the windows, and runs the tip of his finger down Jared's jaw and over his lower lip. "Wanna do presents now?"

"Can we stay on the couch like this?"

"Sure, just let me get my present for you real quick," Jensen replies, pressing a last kiss to Jared's lips before sliding off the couch and hissing when his feet hit the floor.

Jared braces himself for the cold when he gets up, too, but flinches anyway. He gets the small wrapped present he put next to the Christmas tree and rushes back to the couch, throwing the blanket over his lap and waiting for Jensen to return.

"A voucher, huh?" he asks when he sees Jensen holding an envelope. 

"You'll see," Jensen replies with a grin and crawls back onto the couch, one cold foot brushing against Jared's thigh as he pulls them up and crosses his legs. 

"Okay, here. You go first," Jared says and hands Jensen the gift. Jensen tears off the paper slowly.

"Johnny Cash," he says with a smile at he looks down at the CD. "I don't have that one yet, do I?"

"Nope. And come on, you think I got you a normal CD?" Jared asks, leaning close and brushing his lips over Jensen's ear. "Open it."

Jensen does, tilting his head to the side and giving Jared a puzzled look. 

"On the CD."

Jensen tilts the open CD case, squinting down at it. "Dude, s'that an autograph?" he asks, looking at Jared with a wide grin.

"Yeah, figured you'd get a kick out of it," Jared replies and laughs when Jensen kisses him.

"Man, Johnny freaking Cash touched this and signed it," Jensen says when they pull away, and he closes the CD, putting it down carefully. "Thank you."

"No problem," Jared replies with a shrug. "Me, now. Give me that envelope."

Jensen chuckles, but hands it over. Jared opens it and pulls out a picture of a handful of dogs, probably taken for some kind of animal magazine.

"When we get back from your parents, we'll go to the animal shelters in the city and I'll buy you any dog you want," Jensen says. "I'd have gotten one now, but I didn't want to have to leave it somewhere else when we're going to San Antonio right after getting it."

Jared bites his lower lip and pulls Jensen into a tight hug. "Thank you," he mumbles. "That's the most perfect gift you could have gotten me."

"Good," Jensen replies and brushes their lips together. "I'm not sure if your place allows pets, but the dog can stay here if you want. You're never at your place anyway."

"I'd probably be over even more then," Jared warns.

Jensen chuckles. "Don't think I'll mind."

"Jen," Jared says softly and clears his throat, feeling nervous suddenly. He's thought about this long and hard, called his sister to find out of it was too soon but if he's honest with himself, it's felt right for weeks. "There's one more thing. I just--I wanted to tell you that. I love you."

Jensen's silent for a moment, and Jared tries to meet his gaze but Jensen's looking down at their hands that are intertwined between them and resting on top of the blanket. When he does look up, he's smiling. "After all you did for me this month, I'd be an idiot not to know that, Jared," Jensen replies in a soft voice. He leans in, bringing their lips together. "And I love you, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I do. And for the record," Jensen says, cupping the side of Jared's face with his free hand, fingertips sliding into his hair. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had."


End file.
